copperplate

American  

[kop-er-pleyt] / ˈkɒp ərˌpleɪt /

noun

1. a plate of polished copper on which a writing, picture, or design is made by engraving or etching.

2. a print or impression from such a plate.

3. engraving or printing of this kind.

4. a fine, elegant style of handwriting.

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copperplate British  

/ ˈkɒpəˌpleɪt /

noun

1. a polished copper plate on which a design has been etched or engraved

2. a print taken from such a plate

3. a fine handwriting based upon that used on copperplate engravings

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Etymology

Origin of copperplate

First recorded in 1655–65; copper ¹ + plate ¹

Example Sentences

In fact, only a single dot over an i had been missing at the end, says the calligrapher, with no nightmare spelling mistakes discovered in the hand-stitched pages of copperplate writing.

From BBC • May 2, 2024

Screenings at the Yale University Art Gallery are accompanied by an exhibition of copperplate engravings, experimental electroplated copper reliefs and massive sculptures cast from burned-out trees.

From Washington Post • Mar. 8, 2019

Engraving demanded physical strength to cut the surface of the copperplate; etching, the use of hazardous nitric acid to dissolve away the metal.

From Nature • Oct. 8, 2018

English copperplate, also known as English roundhand, sped things up.

From Washington Times • Aug. 5, 2017

Jack’s straight-backed, brown-ink copperplate told her to assume a multiplier of fifty.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan